War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 174

Chapter 29

P

eter left Agnieska’s apartment in Zoliborz early in the morning to report to General Bór’s headquarters, which happened to be in the same district, one of the few still in Polish hands. He passed burnt-out ruins and buildings with huge shell holes in them. It amazed him that any of the structures still stood upright.

Six weeks ago, the civilians had been thrilled at the prospect of liberation, working alongside the resistance fighters building barricades. Housewives had ventured into the streets offering freshly baked bread and cool beverages to the fighters.

But today the streets reeked of mournfulness. Corpses lay piled among the rubble, small crosses marking the graves of others. The skirmishes had dragged on for such a long time that people had lost their enthusiasm.

“It’s all your fault!” a crying mother accused him as she cradled her dead child in her arms. “Why did you have to go up against the Nazis? Look what you’ve done!”

Peter sped up his steps. He had no words of consolation for her, nor did he care to defend the decision to rebel. Nothing had worked out according to plan, and perhaps it was time to close this chapter and try to salvage those still alive.

When he entered the basement serving as headquarters, heads snapped around, looking at him like they’d seen a ghost.

“Antek? We thought you’d been killed in the hospital,” Colonel Romek said.

Apparently, the soldier guarding the manhole hadn’t passed on the information. Lack of proper communication between units had been one of the main problems since the beginning of the uprising. That was one of the few things Peter admired about the Germans; they were always supremely well organized.

“I escaped with the staff and the walking wounded through the sewers,” Peter answered.

“Good. Then you can take over your old battalion and Marek’s,” Colonel Mituk said.

“What’s with Marek?” Peter asked, sensing an invisible hand squeezing his chest.

“Captured by the Gestapo.”

Peter slumped in a vacant chair. He and Marek hadn’t been on the best of terms during these last weeks, but that didn’t change the fact that he still cared for his former friend. No one deserved torture and death at the hands of a brutal enemy.

Another officer rushed into the room with news. “The Germans announced they won’t shoot those who surrender but take them as prisoners of war.”

Peter scoffed. “And that’s supposed to be a good thing?”

“It is. General Bór has been negotiating with General von dem Bach on the conditions of a possible capitulation,” Mituk said.

“Capitulation?” Peter felt all the blood draining from his face.

How could they?

“It’s just preliminary negotiations, but we’re losing men, weapons, everything, including support in the populace. There’s been too much bloodshed. Our fatalities are in the hundreds of thousands. To aggravate the situation further, the Luftwaffe is dropping propaganda leaflets, asking everyone to capitulate before the city is destroyed in an unnecessary battle. People are tired, starved and hopeless,” Romek said.

Peter nodded, his lips quivering as he tried to control his emotions. He felt betrayed. Not by the civilians, nor by his commanders who sought the best for their country. Not even by the Russians who’d taken the first opportunity to stab a knife into Poland’s back. Russia had always been a foe, so this kind of treason had to be expected.

No, he felt betrayed by Poland’s so-called allies. The British. The French. The Americans. How had they responded to the Home Army’s desperate pleas for help? By dropping a few weapons here and there. Nothing to speak of. With every passing day, the Home Army was pushed further into the corner, while the Germans gained the upper hand. And the way things were going, he feared he’d never see his beloved Anna again.